Sunday, July 15, 2012

007 James Bond Marathon: Diamonds are Forever



Based on Ian Fleming’s novel, Diamonds are Forever is the story of James Bond infiltrating a diamond smuggling operation by Ernst Stavros Blofeld who plans to use the diamonds to build a giant laser. Directed by Guy Hamilton with a screenplay by Richard Maimbaum and Tom Mankiewicz from a screen story by Ian Fleming, the film marks Sean Connery’s return to play James Bond after being absent from the predecessor as the film will mark the last time he plays Bond in its official franchise features. Also starring Jill St. John, Charles Gray, Lana Wood, Jimmy Dean, Bruce Glover, Putter Smith, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell, and Bernard Lee as M. Diamonds are Forever is dazzling yet entertaining film from Guy Hamilton.

After trying to find Ernst Stavros Blofeld (Charles Gray) and getting rid of him, James Bond receives a briefing from M about a diamond smuggling operation that is happening all over the world where many smugglers are mysteriously killed. Bond travels to Amsterdam posing as professional smuggler Peter Franks (Joe Robinson) where he meets a contact named Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) who is also a smuggler herself. After a tussle with the real Franks, Bond gets rid of him and has Franks be a dead James Bond where Bond smuggles fake diamonds into Franks’ body as he and Case arrive in Las Vegas to handle a deal. Bond seems to have the deal made only to be nearly killed by a couple of men in Mr. Wint (Bruce Glover) and Mr. Kidd (Putter Smith).

Bond goes to the prestigious Whyte House hotel and casino where the reclusive Mr. Whyte (Jimmy Dean) supposedly lives at where Bond meets a vivacious woman named Plenty O’Toole (Lana Wood) as he tries to deal with other smugglers over the fake diamonds where Tiffany arrives for Bond to make a plan for her to retrieve the real diamonds. Instead, she gets the diamonds and goes out on her own where Bond finds out that she’s working for someone else whom she admits doesn’t know except for his voice. Bond and Case travel to Whyte’s mining plants where Bond makes a discovery about what Whyte’s scientist Metz (Joseph Furst) is doing with the diamonds as Bond wants to confront Whyte.

After a chase involving Whyte’s men and some police, Bond sneaks into Whyte’s secret suite where he makes a far more chilling discovery of who really lives at the suite. Learning what is really going on and the whereabouts of the real Mr. Whyte, Bond realizes what he must do to save the world from a giant laser blowing up all of the nuclear weapons where it’s next target is some of the world’s major cities.

The film is about James Bond delving into the world of diamond smuggling where he has to save the world once again from a giant laser made by a mysterious villain who plans to hold the world hostage unless he gets some money. That’s the plot of the film although there’s a lot in the screenplay by Richard Maimbaum and Tom Mankiewicz that’s all over the place as the script’s main drawbacks is that there’s a lot that happens that makes the screenplay a bit of a mess. Notably as it aimed to be a Bond film with some humor where the result is a bit mixed as it’s the screenplay isn’t as straightforward as it should’ve been. Plus, the characters such as Tiffany Case aren’t as developed though she does remain interesting while the reveal of the main villain is pretty obvious as it’s a script has an air of familiarity that does make it a bit frustrating. Despite these flaws, the screenplay does what is needed to be done for the Bond story where it at least makes it fun to watch.

Guy Hamilton’s direction is definitely stylish for its array of big sequences such as the climatic helicopter attack on the oil rig as well as a few chase scenes around the desert and in the city of Las Vegas. Yet, it does open with a bang where it sort of picks up where the last film left off as Bond attacks a few characters to find out where Blofeld is leading to a big confrontation between Bond and Blofeld. The rest of the film then goes on as business as usual with gorgeous compositions of the scenes in Amsterdam and Las Vegas as Hamilton does take his time to set up the action and suspense. He also injects a few bits of campy humor such as Bond facing off a couple of Amazonian, bikini-clad women in a scene where even Bond can be overwhelmed. Despite some of the flaws in the screenplay, Hamilton does manage to create a film that is solid and features enough moments to make it a fun James Bond film.

Cinematographer Ted Moore does excellent work with the photography such as the exterior settings of Amsterdam and Las Vegas along with the interior looks of the suites that Bond and Mr. Whyte stays in. Editors Bert Bates and John Holmes do wonderful work with the editing by creating a montage of Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd‘s killings during M‘s briefing of what Bond must doe. Production designer Ken Adam, along with set decorators John P. Austin and Peter Lamont and art directors Bill Kenney and Jack Maxsted, does amazing work with the look of the Whyte suite as well as his secret penthouse and the bases where his scientists are conducting experiments to destroy the world.

Costume designer Don Feld does nice work with the designs of the bikinis and clothes that Tiffany Case wears. Sound recorders John W. Mitchell and Al Overton do terrific work with the sound to capture the sound of car chases and gun fire for some of the film‘s action scenes. The film’s score by John Barry is brilliant for its intensely suspenseful score including a playful theme on the duo of Wint and Kidd to establish their appearances. The title song written by Barry and lyricist Don Black is a bombastic song with some funky guitar riffs as it’s sung with great power by Shirley Bassey.

The casting by Weston Drury Jr. is superb for the ensemble that is created as if features some notable small performances from Lola Larson and Trina Parks as Whyte’s respective Amazonian bodyguards Bambi and Thumper, Leonard Barr as a smuggler/comedian named Shady Tree, Joe Robinson as the smuggler Peter Franks, Bruce Cabot as Whyte’s casino manager Saxby, and Joseph Furst as the scientist Metz. Other noteworthy performances include the regulars Lois Maxwell in her one-scene appearance as Miss Moneypenny, Desmond Llewelyn as the very witty inventor Q, Norman Burton as Bond’s CIA friend Felix Leiter, and Bernard Lee as the always exquisite M. Lana Wood is pretty good in her small role as Plenty O’Toole while the duo of Bruce Glover and Putter Smith are quite funny as the mischievous villains Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, respectively.

Jimmy Dean is excellent in his small role as the reclusive millionaire Mr. Willard Whyte who finally appears late in the film as a man unaware of what he’s done as he aids Bond in fighting the mysterious villain. Charles Gray is great in the role of Blofeld where he brings a lot of charm to his role in his early appearance while proving to be a far more formidable foe that is focused on destroying the world and Bond. Jill St. John is terrific as the smuggler Tiffany Case who isn’t sure what Bond is trying to do only to aid him when she realizes who she’s really helping as it’s a fine part that doesn’t have much development other than look great in skimpy clothing.

Finally there’s Sean Connery as Agent 007 where Connery brings the same swagger and charm that audiences know and love while there’s also a bit of aggression as he is determined to destroy Blofeld. It’s also a chance for Connery to show that he is aware that James Bond isn’t invincible and is willing to take hits as it’s Connery at his most physical in playing Bond as he gives him more to do when fighting someone. It’s a fitting farewell of sorts for Connery to play the character he made famous as Connery goes out with a bang for the franchise’s official series.

Diamonds are Forever is an excellent film from Guy Hamilton that features Sean Connery in another top-notch performance as James Bond. While it may be the weakest film of the Blofeld trilogy that was preceded by You Only Live Twice and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. It is still a film that does enough for what audiences want in a Bond film where it entertains and thrills while having the time for the audience to laugh a bit. In the end, Diamonds are Forever is a fun film from Guy Hamilton.



© thevoid99 2012
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Saturday, July 14, 2012

Kes



Based on the novel A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines, Kes is the story about a fourteen-year-old miner’s son who bonds with a wild kestrel in his working class town. Directed by Ken Loach and screenplay by Loach, Barry Hines, and Tony Garnett, the film is an exploration into the life of a boy living in a dreary world where he finds hope in a bird. Starring David Bradley, Freddie Fletcher, Lynne Perrie, Colin Welland, and Brian Glover. Kes is a touching and heartwarming film from Ken Loach.

Billy Casper (David Bradley) is a fourteen-year-old boy who lives in a Yorkshire working class area where his older brother Jud (Freddie Fletcher) works as a miner while their mother (Lynne Perrie) also works as she has little time for Billy. Facing a horrible prospect of becoming a miner and already a bleak life filled with working as a paperboy and going to school where he has a hard time paying attention. Billy comes across a couple of flying kestrels near a farm where he takes a baby kestrel that he names Kes as he grows to care for it. Despite the bleak outlook of his life at home and at school where he’s teased by other kids, Billy grows to love Kes as he eventually tells a story in class where his English teacher (Colin Welland) suggests to Billy about a possible world where Billy can escape from the world of the coal mines.

The film is a simple tale of a boy who finds a baby kestrel and teaches it how to fly as it gives him a sense of escape in his Yorkshire mining town. Throughout the film, this young boy has to endure all of the troubles of his life at home where he’s neglected by his mother and treated with cruelty by his older brother. At school, he’s teased by some kids for being poor while being treated badly by teachers for not paying attention or just getting into trouble that includes a selfish football coach. Yet, it’s this kestrel that gives Billy Casper a sense of hope despite the prospect that he might face a life that is very bleak. The screenplay that Ken Loach, Tony Garnett, and its novelist Barry Hines create is unconventional due to its lack of plot as it centers a lot on this boy and his relationship with the kestrel.

Ken Loach’s direction is truly a marvel to watch in the way he creates a film that is sentimental at times but filled with a lot of realism as it’s shot largely on location in Yorkshire and is presented in a cinema verite style. With these gorgeous compositions of the locations including some wide shots of these locations, Loach’s direction also has a looseness for the way many of the people in the film act in front of the camera. A lot of them are non-actors where there’s a lot of humor in the scenes such as the football match where the gym teacher tries to cheat his way in the game. The film also has an ending where it’s quite powerful where its sentimentality is earned where it’s a very heartbreaking ending considering what the boy might face and how attached he’s become towards this kestrel. Overall, Loach creates a truly powerful and enchanting film about a boy and a kestrel.

Cinematographer Chris Menges does excellent work with the photography to capture the beauty inside the bleak world of Yorkshire with its factories and open landscapes as Menges work is a major highlight. Editor Roy Watts does terrific work with the editing in utilizing jump-cuts for some fast-paced sequences along with fade-outs to smooth out the transitions. Art director William McCrow does nice work with the minimal set pieces such as the home that Billy lives in. Sound recorders Gerry Humphreys and Tony Jackson do wonderful work with the sound to capture the raucous location of the party that Jud and Billy‘s mother attend that includes a live band and such while the rest of it is very sparse in the locations where some scenes are set.

The film’s score by John Cameron is incredible for its flute-driven score to play up the sense of innocence that is presented in the film as it also includes a few heavy orchestral pieces for dramatic reasons.

The film’s cast is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it includes Bernard Atha as a youth employment officer, Colin Welland as the sympathetic Mr. Farthing, Brian Glover as the school’s strict headmaster, Bob Bowes as the school’s cruel gym teacher, and Lynne Perrie as Billy’s neglectful mother. Freddie Fletcher is very good as Billy’s cruel older brother who berates him for not being helpful and such as he would play a key role in the film’s climatic third act. Finally there’s David Bradley in a phenomenal performance as Billy Casper where Bradley brings a great energy and realism to a boy seemingly lost in his bleak world until he finds a baby kestrel that he grows to care for as he is among one of the film’s highlights along with the kestrel used in the film.

Kes is a magnificent film from Ken Loach that features a phenomenal performance from David Bradley. The film is definitely one of Loach’s great works for the way he tenderly tells a story about a boy and a bird that will touch anyone who loves films about kids and animals. Yet, it’s a film that does more as it provides insight into a bleak world of Britain where there’s a semblance of hope that is available for a young boy. Kes is truly a film that will touch anyone that loves a story between a boy and an animal as it is told with great care and mastery from someone like Ken Loach.

Ken Loach Films: (Cathy Comes Home) - (Poor Cow) - (Save the Children Fund Film) - (Family Life) - (The Price of Coal) - (Black Jack) - (The Gamekeeper) - (Looks and Smiles) - (Which Side Are You On?) - (Fatherland) - (Hidden Agenda) - (Riff-Raff) - (Raining Stones) - (Ladybird Ladybird) - (Land and Freedom) - (A Contemporary Case of Common Ownership) - (Carla’s Song) - (The Flickering Flame) - (McLibel (1997 film)) - (My Name is Joe) - (Bread and Roses) - (The Navigators) - Sweet Sixteen - (Ae Fond Kiss…) - (Tickets) - (McLibel (2005 film)) - The Wind That Shakes the Barley - It's a Free World... - Looking for Eric - (Route Irish) - (The Angels’ Share) - (The Spirit of '45) - Jimmy's Hall - I, Daniel Blake

© thevoid99 2012
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Friday, July 13, 2012

Insomnia (2002 film)



Based on the 1997 Norwegian film of the same name, Insomnia is the story of a detective who travels to a small Alaskan fishing town to investigate a murder where he deals with a mysterious writer as well as the troubling location he’s staying at. Directed by Christopher Nolan with a screenplay by Hilary Seitz, the film is an Americanized take on Erik Skoldbaejrg’s 1997 film that explores the world of madness and guilt as the latter is part of Nolan’s interests in a lot of his work. Starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Martin Donovan, Nicky Katt, Maura Tierney, Crystal Lowe, and Paul Dooley. Insomnia is a stylish yet engaging thriller from Christopher Nolan.

After the mysterious death of a 17-year-old girl named Kay Connell (Crystal Lowe), two L.A. detectives in Will Dormer (Al Pacino) and Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan) are asked by Chief Nyback (Paul Dooley) to investigate as they arrive to the small Alaskan fishing town of Nightmute. Awaiting for their arrival is Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank) who is a fan of Dormer’s work as she is eager to aid in the investigation as Dormer is dealing with issues involving internal affairs over supposedly falsifying evidence. After interrogating Kay’s boyfriend Randy Stetz (Jonathan Jackson) who claims to not know anything, Kay’s backpack is found near a shack where Dormer, Hap, Ellie, and other locals try to find out who owns the shack. Instead, a chase occurs leading Will to make a mistake that would impact everything as he eventually faces guilt over what happened as well as insomnia in a town where it’s day at the time of the season.

With Burr asked to investigate Burr’s shooting, Dormer continues to investigate as he eventually gets answers from Kay’s friend Tanya (Katherine Isabelle) about who Kay may have been seeing. Dormer discovers that it is a local writer named Walter Finch (Robin Williams) who may have been the one who killed Kay as Finch had been trying to contact him since he saw what really happened to Hap. The two eventually meet face-to-face where they conspire to frame Randy since Finch is blackmailing Dormer about what he knows based on taped conversations. While Burr is getting closer to what really happened to Hap, Dormer’s guilt and growing insomnia starts to consume him as he goes for one more confrontation with Finch.

The film is about a L.A. detective who travels to Alaska to investigate the death of a young girl only to be consumed by guilt and dealing with a girl’s killer who is trying to play a battle of wits against him. It’s a film that explores a man’s descent into madness as Hilary Seitz’s screenplay is quite faithful to the original Erik Skoldbaejrg’s 1997 film of the same name. The only major difference is that a few characters like Will Dormer and Walter Finch are given more complexity while the Ellie Burr character is expanded more from the original. Adding to Dormer’s sense of guilt is an inquiry from internal affairs about his reputation where it eventually plays to his motivation of wanting to get the person even if there’s a lack of evidence.

Christopher Nolan’s direction is definitely engaging for the way he shoots the beautiful Alaskan locations with wide shots as well as creating a mood for many of the film’s suspenseful scenes. Particularly in close-ups of the characters as well as medium shots to have two characters in a frame to set up a simple conversation or to play out an investigation. Nolan’s camera is always there to show something while repeating certain images and such to play up Dormer’s guilt and paranoia. Overall, Nolan creates a truly intriguing suspense film that plays up to what is expected in the genre.

Cinematographer Wally Pfister does excellent work with the film‘s low-colored cinematography to play up the look of the Alaskan locations as well as some amazing interiors of Dormer‘s room and other interiors to play out the mood of the film. Editor Dody Dorn does great work with the editing by creating montages to play up Dormer‘s guilt with repeated images as well as using jump-cuts to play out Dormer‘s troubled state of mind. Production designer Nathan Crowley, with set decorator Peter Lando and art director Michael Diner, does wonderful work with the look of the lodge that Dormer and Hap stay in as well as the station where everyone does the investigation.

Costume designer Tish Monaghan does good work with the clothes by keeping it casual for many of the characters. Sound editors Aaron Glascock and Curt Schulkey does nice work with the sound for the way gunshots are sound and a key scene where Dormer hears a lot of things as voices are muffled to play out his descent into madness. The film’s score by David Julyan is wonderful for its low-key yet mesmerizing orchestral score filled with heavy piano melodies and string arrangements to play out the film’s suspense.

The casting by Marci Liroff is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable appearances from Emily Perkins as a girl speaking at Kay’s funeral, Nicky Katt and Larry Holden as a couple of local cops, Crystal Lowe as the victim Kay Connell, Paul Dooley as Chief Nyback, Katherine Isabelle as Kay’s friend Tanya, and Jonathan Jackson as Kay’s boyfriend Randy Stetz. Martin Donovan is excellent as Will’s ill-fated partner Hap who has issues with Will over a deal he wants to make with internal affairs. Maura Tierney is superb as the lodge owner Rachel who gives a very low-key performance as a woman who observes Will at the lodge. Hilary Swank is great as detective Ellie Burr who takes many of Will’s advice to be a great investigator as she uses his advice and her skills to uncover many things as it’s a very intense and lively performance from Swank.

Robin Williams is amazing as the mysterious Walter Finch where Williams is quite restrained in his role as a novelist who may have killed a young woman only to try and outwit Will Dormer over what Will had done as there’s a bit of dark charm in Williams’ performance. Finally, there’s Al Pacino in a terrific performance as Will Dormer where Pacino brings a great intensity and weariness to a man consumed by guilt as he is desperate to do what is right even if it means having to do things the wrong way. It’s one of Pacino’s finer performances of his career to display his gifts as an actor.

Insomnia is a stellar yet fascinating film from Christopher Nolan that features top-notch work from Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank. While it may not have the intense approach of the original 1997 film or the stylish mis-en-scene of Nolan’s other films. It is still a remake that works to play up what is expected in the suspense genre as well as being faithful to Erik Skoldbaejrg’s original film. In the end, Insomnia is a superb thriller from Christopher Nolan.



© thevoid99 2012

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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Insomnia (1997 film)



Directed by Erik Skoldbaejrg and written by Skoldbaejrg and Nikolai Frobenius, Insomnia is the story of a detective who goes to the Arctic Circle to investigate the murder. Things eventually go wrong as the detective suffers from insomnia as he also deals with guilt and a mysterious individual who might know something about the murders. Starring Stellan Skarsgard, Sverre Anker Ousdal, Bjorn Floberg, Gisken Armand, and Maria Bonnevie. Insomnia is an entrancing and eerie suspense film from Erik Skoldbaejrg.

After the death of a young woman named Tanja (Maria Matheison), a Swedish detective named Jonas Engstrom (Stellan Skarsgard) is sent to Trosmo near the Norwegian Arctic region with his Norwegian partner Erik Vik (Sverre Anker Ousdal). After talking to Tanja’s boyfriend Eilert (Bjorn Moan) about what happened that night, he claims that he didn’t kill her though Jonas remains unsure until Tanja’s backpack was found near a shed. When Jonas and Erik along with a team decide to drop the backpack to catch the killer, something goes wrong when Jonas does something that would impact his whole investigation and everything else he would deal with.

With Hilde Hagen (Gisken Armand) is asked to investigate Erik’s shooting, she also is asked to aide Jonas in the investigation as Jonas goes on his own for answers as he starts to suffer from insomnia due to midnight sun in the region. After getting some answers from a classmate of Tanja in Froya (Marianne O. Ulrichsen) about the expensive clothes that Tanja wore, she claims it was from some guy she met as he believes to be a writer named Jon Holt (Bjorn Floberg). After finally reach Holt with questions, things become more intense as Jonas decides to deal with Holt himself as Hagen wonders what is going on with Jonas as she’s convinced that Holt is the one as she also raises more questions about what happened to Erik. With Jonas losing his grip on reality, he asks Holt one more time about what happened leading to huge revelations over Tanja’s death.

The film is about a detective who descends through madness in his investigation to find a killer only to deal with guilt and insomnia as the latter has him be in a strange world where it’s often very sunny or still day during the rain. During his investigation, he would do things to cover up a blunder that he had created as he would later see ghosts and do things that would hinder the investigation for his own reasons. Especially when he suspects a writer who might’ve done the whole thing as he’s revealed to be a formidable opponent for the detective. Adding to the turmoil is a local detective handling another investigation as she is a lot smarter than he wants to believe.

The screenplay that Erik Skoldbaejrg and Nikolai Frobenius create is filled with a lot of suspense as well as repetition where there’s moments of flashbacks used to establish Jonas Engstrom’s guilt over what happened in a moment of confusion. The screenplay succeeds in the characterization of Jon Holt who is just a writer that likes to do certain things though it is unclear whether he did kill her other than that Tanja’s death was accidental in the film’s opening scene. A lot of it drives Engstrom to cover up certain things relating to his partner’s death as well as the fact that he wants to catch the killer for himself not for any personal gain but to understand why this girl is killed and why the killer was so meticulous in covering it all up.

Skoldbaejrg’s direction is truly mesmerizing from the opening scene of Tanja’s death to the way the Trosmo looks as the whole film is shot during the day as there’s no sense of night. Something that would bother Engstrom throughout the course of the film as there’s also an eerieness to the story as characters who are dead would reappear as if they’re ghosts haunting Engstrom to do what is right or to recall dialogue spoken earlier in the film. With these hypnotic compositions of the locations and some interior shots of the buildings, Skoldbaejrg’s direction is truly engaging for the way the suspense is built and the haunting quality he creates in how he sees a man descend into madness. Overall, Skoldbaejrg crafts a truly engrossing suspense film that does a lot for what is expected in the genre.

Cinematographer Erling Thurmann-Andersen does great work with the cinematography with the graininess of the film‘s opening scene to the more de-saturated look of the locations to play up the sunny look of the locations in some spots including some wonderful interiors to help set a mood for Engstrom‘s state of mind. Editor Hakon Overeas does excellent work with the editing to utilize rhythmic cuts to play up the suspense and pacing while using a few jump cuts for some of the conversations that goes on. Production designer Eli Bo does nice work with the set pieces such as the hotel room that Engstrom stays that includes the way he covers up the sunny window from the light to the look of the reception at the hotel.

Costume designer Runa Fonne does terrific work with the costumes from the suit that Engstrom wears to the more fashionable 90s clothing the younger women such as Froya wears. Sound designer Randall Meyers and sound editor Erik S. Watland do superb work with the sound to play up the suspense such as the gunshots and clanging objects to the sparseness of the shed near the bay. The film’s score by Geir Jenssen is wonderful for its low-key sound of pianos and ambient textures to play up the chilling tone of the film while the rest of the soundtrack is a mixture of pop and rock to play up the youthful world that Engstrom is trying to uncover.

The film’s cast is phenomenal for the ensemble that is created as it includes some notable small roles from Frode Rasmussen as the police chief, Thor Michael Aamodt and Kristian Figenschow as a couple of detectives, Maria Mathieson as the victim Tanja, and Marie Bonnevie as the hotel receptionist Ane whom Engstrom befriends. Other memorable small roles include Marianne O. Ulrichsen as Tanja’s classmate Froya, Bjorn Moan as Tanja’s boyfriend Eiert, and Sverre Anke Ousdal as Engstrom’s partner Erik. Gisken Armand is excellent as the intelligent Hilde Hagen who takes up the investigation over Erik’s shooting as she is proven to be a formidable opponent on the side of good for Engstrom as she knows there’s more to the case than what’s been presented.

Bjorn Floberg is great as the mysterious Jon Holt whose restrained charm and wit provides the right notes that Engstrom needs to play against as Floberg brings a real sense of determination of a character who may or may not have killed someone intentionally. Finally, there’s Stellan Skarsgard in an incredible performance as Jonas Engstrom where Skarsgard brings a restraint to his role as a man dealing with guilt as well as displaying a weariness to his character as he descends into madness.

Insomnia is a remarkable suspense film from Erik Skoldbaejrg that features a chilling performance from Stellan Skarsgard. Fans of suspense films will no doubt see this as a smart and wonderfully-crafted film that plays up to the world of mystery and madness. Notably in the latter where it follows a character driven by guilt and obsession as he tries to do the right thing only in the wrong way. In the end, Insomnia is an excellent suspense film from Erik Skoldbaejrg.


© thevoid99 2012
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Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Ran


Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/25/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.


Based on William Shakespeare's classic play King Lear, Ran tells the story set in the 16th Century about a king who abdicates his throne to his three sons that would lead to tragedy and war as two of his sons betray him while his youngest is banished as the king descends into madness. Directed by Akira Kurosawa with a script he co-wrote with Hideo Oguni and Masato Ide, Ran is Kurosawa's most ambitious and epic film yet with a budget for $12 million. With an all-star cast that included Kurosawa regulars Tatsuya Nakadai, Hisashi Igawa, Masayuki Yui, Daisuke Ryu, Jinpachi Nezu, Akira Terao, and Mieko Harada. Ran is a superbly grand yet phenomenal film from Akira Kurosawa.

After many years of ruling his land, Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai) holds a council meeting that consists of his three sons, his general Tango Hirayama (Masayuki Yui), his court jester Kyoami (Shinnosuke "Peter" Ikehata), and two rival warlords in Seiji Ayabe (Jun Tazaki) and Nobuhiro Fujimaki (Hitoshi Ueki) during a hunt. He decides to abdicate the throne to his eldest son Taro (Akira Terao) while retaining his title and some authority as he also has his three sons run each castle. The youngest Saburo (Daisuke Ryu) doesn't like the news believing that Taro nor his older brother Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu) are trustworthy after disproving a logic that three arrows together can't be broken. Hidetora banishes Saburo for his words while Taro and Jiro claim to be grateful for their father's gifts through Tango admits that Saburo is right as Hidetora banishes him. After the meeting, Saburo and Tango run into Fujimaki who makes an offer to Saburo to marry one of his daughters to ensure a union as Saburo decides to join the warlords while Tango decides to go on his own out of respect for Hidetora.

Returing to the main castle with Hidetora, Taro reveals to his wife Lady Kaede (Mieko Harada) the news about his new role as the celebration becomes brief following an incident involving Koyami has Hidetora kill one of Taro's guards with an arrow. Taro banishes his father as he and Kyoami go to Jiro with their escort including guards and concubines only to be rejected by Jiro despite a meeting with Jiro's Buddhist wife Lady Sue` (Yoshiko Miyazaki) whom he's admitted to some wrongdoing towards her family. When Hidetora runs into Tango with some news about what Taro and Jiro are doing, Hidetora travels to the third castle for shelter while Taro, Jiro, and Jiro's general Kurogene make plans to raid the castle. The raid becomes bloody leaving Hidetora trapped as Tango and Kyoami watch in horror as something terrible happens in the battle leaving Hidetora deranged as he walks out of the castle in a state of shock with Kyoami and Tango later finding him.

With Jiro now in full control with his men including Kurogene, Lady Kaede seduces him into power as he is unaware of her true motives. Seeking shelter at the home of Lady Sue`'s blind brother Tsurumaru (Mansai Nomura), Hidetora, Tango, and Kyoami figure what to do next as Tango suggests to reach out to Saburo for help much to Hidetora's troubled state of mind. Back at the main castle, Kaede plans an assassination on Lady Sue` for Kurogene to carry the order to his reluctance while Tango learns from the banished old generals what Jiro is doing as he leaves to find Saburo. With Kyoami having to take care of the mad Hidetora, Saburo eventually arrives with Ayabe and Fujimaki to battle Jiro while things become more tragic and darker leaving all of those questioning about the way the world works.

The story of a father who gives his three children new properties and such only to be betrayed by two of them with other being banished for being honest is really a study of character and morals from the viewpoint of its original writer, William Shakespeare. Kurosawa, a fan of Shakespeare's work who also adapted Macbeth for his 1957 classic Throne of Blood, found a lot of themes and discussions that Kurosawa seemed to thrive on for King Lear. In the case of Ran, instead of having three daughters like in the original play, he went for three sons. Also using the legend of Mori Motonari, a lord who ruled Japan during the 16th Century, the film is really a study of sin, morality, vengeance, and regrets all centered around this aging warlord. In some respect, there is claim that Ran is also one of Kurosawa's most personal films since there's references to his own life following the latter part of filmmaking career after 1965's Red Beard.

The script by Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, and Masato Ide is about a lord's pride and how it leads to the downfall of his own clan. When his youngest son Saburo reminds him of how he became powerful through means of evil, treachery, and such. He is banished for his honesty while his two elder sons would falsely praise him only to betray him later on. It's the pride of Hidetora that would lead to his own downfall as he realized he is suddenly forced to face his own sins. This includes the killing of families and such of people including Lady Kaede and Lady Sue`. The latter of whom had embraced Buddhism and is willing to forgive her father-in-law for his sins but he couldn't accept her forgiveness. In the former, there is something far more sinister planned as the other character revolving that includes Tango and Kyoami represent the audience and moral conscience of sorts in the film.

The film's ending is suddenly, more about spirituality and existentialism. It's in the view of the two supporting characters of Tango and Kyoami who wonder about the way the world works. Kyoami, angry over the outcome of tragedy while Tango is the one who realizes the cynicism of the world and how something like peace is really just a dream. It's men who is willing to destroy themselves with God forced to watch with amusement that really upsets Kyoami. This reinterpretation of King Lear is truly astounding thanks in large part to a very complex, character-driven, and thematic script that is heightened more by Akira Kurosawa's direction.

Kurosawa's eye-wielding, observant, and eerie direction is really the highlight of the film itself. On location in the plains and mountains of Mount Aso, Mount Fuji, and two real castles, Kurosawa goes for a visual approach that is stimulating to watch in every frame. With shots of clouds and the plains, the film is overall presented in a theatrical style that isn't just similar to Shakespeare but also Noh theater. The film's first sequences in the plains of Mount Aso are colorful and rich but as the film progresses, the film becomes less colorful and more eerie. Kurosawa's approach to staging from the meetings and to the more individual sequences involving Hidetora's madness are done in an intimate, theatrical style.

The battle sequences in the film are nothing short of brilliant but it's more than that. The epic scale of the battle scenes are brilliant to convey the horrors and such in the film's second act while the third is to convey the sense of tragedy. The intensity of the battle scenes that is a wonderful mixture of Kurosawa's staging and editing plus the camera-work, special effects, and use of blood is amazing for its sense of chaos. Yet, there's a sense of nihilism to the violence that's far more aggressive than in Kurosawa’s previous films with no sense of pride and such for these deaths. Instead, with a few exceptions, there's characters who don’t get a chance for atonement but rather die in ways to exemplify God's cruelty on sin.

The direction of Kurosawa is overall brilliant while his work as an editor is as potent as ever. The use of jump-cuts and transitions to convey the film's emotions and Hidetora's madness also works to give the film a pacing that at first, might start off slow. Yet as the story progresses, it is more invested in the situations and characters as they play a part of what is to come in the moments of battle and tragedy. Yet, it all comes down to Kurosawa and his direction as he creates a film that has the intimacy of a play while maintaining its epic, visual style that is very cinematic. The result is truly Kurosawa at the top of his game.

The film's cinematography by Asakazu Nakai, Takao Saito, and Masaharu Ueda is extremely hypnotic from its colorful look to the film's first act to the darker look in the second and third. The camera-work is exquisite with intimate lighting schemes for some of the film's interior sequences in the two castles to lovely exterior shots including Hidetora's meeting with Lady Sue`. The use of colors and black sand for several of the exterior scenes is brilliantly shot as its trio of cinematographers capture a look and feel into the mind of Hidetora.

Production designers Shinobu Muraki and Yoshiro Muraki do amazing work with the film's color schemes from the black-yellow banner of the film's opening scene to the traditional look of Japanese palaces along with the decayed look of castles to show the world of Hidetora through his madness. Costume designer Emi Wada does amazing work to the film's costumes from the differing colors for the three sons, Taro in yellow, Jiro in red, and Saburo in blue. Wada's costumes are exquisite for the period with Lady Kaeda's shiny-white look is wonderful to convey her icy persona as Wada's Oscar-winning work is worth noting.

The sound work of Fumio Yanoguchi and Shotaro Yoshida is brilliant for its design and momentum, notably the battle scene as if it sounds like the real thing. The gunshots sound like hammers as it represents the full chaos and nihilism of these battle scenes. The location shots are also wonderfully recorded to convey the deteriorating mind of Hidetora. The music of Toru Takemitsu that is inspired by Gustav Mahler is a wonderful mix of traditional, Japanese percussion music and huge, orchestral pieces that captures both the sense of chaos and tragedy of the battle scenes with the Japanese percussion to heighten the film’s drama. The use of a flute in the scenes with Tsurumaru is also brilliant for its drama as it would only bring horror to Hidetora. The music overall is brilliant and truly one of the film's highlights.

The film's cast is overall brilliant for its many varied performances from every actor involved. In the role of Saburo's general Mondo Naganuma, Toshiya Ito is great as the loyal general and strategist who manages to outwit Jiro with help from Ayabe and Fujimaki. In the respective roles of warlords Ayabe and Fujimaki, Jun Tazaki and Hitoshi Ueki are excellent as the two men who respect Hidetora while finding a much larger respect for Saburo as they help him in this chaotic conflict. Hisashi Igawa is also excellent as Jiro's general Kurogene who finds his loyalty to Jiro shaky when Lady Kaede is involved that includes the attempted murder of Lady Sue`. Kazuo Kato and Norio Matsui in the respective roles of Ikoma and Ogura, are superb as the two generals of Hidetora who unwittingly betray him only to pay the price for their betrayal.

Mansai Nomura is great as the blind Tsurumaru, the younger brother of Lady Sue` who is still grieving over the loss of his parents and sight with contempt towards Hidetora. Yoshiko Miyazaki is radiant as Lady Sue`, the wife of Jiro who is trying to find some peace through spirituality as she represents the rare sense of good through a film that is very cynical. Mieko Harada is brilliant as the conniving, vengeful Lady Kaede, a woman who hopes to gain power and more by seducing Jiro into power and is the epitome of evil as she plays part in the downfall of a clan.

In the role of Taro, Akira Terao is great as the eldest son who hopes to have his own moment of glory and power as he would end up blinded by his own cruelty. Jinpachi Nezu is also great as the scheming Jiro, the middle son who wants power all of his own and with Saburo out of the way, his planning works only to find himself falling for the conniving Kaede. Daisuke Ryu is even greater as the more honesty, loving Saburo, the son who may be disrespectful but also opinionated but is the one who really loved his father is trying to do what a great son must do as Ryu's performance is amazing.

Shinnosuke "Peter" Ikehata is phenomenal as the court jester/fool Kyoami, the comic relief in the film who is a cross dresser as he tries to figure out his master's madness and the way the world works. Ikehata's performance is brilliant as he kind of represents the Greek chorus who voices the concerns and frustrations about Hidetora's state of mind. The film's best supporting performance easily goes to Masayuki Yui as the loyal general Tango, who is also the film's moral conscience of sorts. Here's a general who has a loyalty to his lord while trying to tell him what is right and wrong as does all he can to help him while in the film's ending, he's the one who reveals about the way the world works in all of his cruelty. His performance is noteworthy for being the voice of cynicism that is a reflection of the world itself.

Finally, there's Tatsuya Nakadai in what has to be the performance of his career as Hidetora. Putting on make-up and a presence that is in the tradition of Noh theater, Nakadai's performance is just nothing short of brilliant and superb as he channels all of the complex behaviors of Hidetora from his ignorant sense of pride to his own fall into madness as a man who's become broken only to seek redemption. Nakadai's performance following the fall of the third castle in the way he walks is just filled with a sense of command that is very regal as he just owns the film in every way. This is truly one of the greatest performances captured on film from one of Kurosawa's great actors.

Ran is a brilliant yet provocative film from Akira Kurosawa and company helmed by Tatsuya Nakadai's theatrical performance. Fans of war films, epic films, period films, or any kind of film should see this movie while it isn't just one of Kurosawa's great masterpieces but also one of the best films ever made. Fans of Shakespeare will no doubt enjoy Kurosawa's reinterpretation of King Lear as it's a film that even those studying Shakespeare will enjoy. The film overall has great morals and a great message though its cynicism might be hard to take. Yet, in the end, Ran is a must-see for anyone who loves a great movie and who better to come from than the Emperor himself, Akira Kurosawa.

Akira Kurosawa Films: (Sanshiro Sugata) - (The Most Beautiful) - (Sanshiro Sugata Part II) - (The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail) - No Regrets on Our Youth - (One Wonderful Sunday) - Drunken Angel - (The Quiet Duel) - Stray Dog - Scandal (1950 film) - Rashomon - The Idiot (1951 film) - Ikiru - The Seven Samurai - (I Live in Fear) - Throne of Blood - (The Lower Depths (1957 film)) - The Hidden Fortress - The Bad Sleep Well - Yojimbo - Sanjuro - High and Low - Red Beard - Dodesukaden - Dersu Uzala - Kagemusha - Dreams (1990 film) - (Rhapsody in August) - (Madadayo)

© thevoid99 2012
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Tuesday, July 10, 2012

007 James Bond Marathon: On Her Majesty's Secret Service



Based on Ian Fleming’s novel, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is the story of James Bond trying to stop Blofeld from sterilizing the world’s food supply in retaliation for everything that he had lost. During his mission, Bond falls for a countess who would have him re-think his womanizing ways. Directed by Peter R. Hunt and screenplay by Richard Maimbaum with additional dialogue by Hunt and Simon Raven. The film marks a change of pace in the Bond franchise as Sean Connery retires the Bond role as the part went to a then-newcomer in George Lazenby in his only appearance as Bond. Also starring Diana Rigg, Gabriele Ferzetti, Telly Savalas, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell, and Bernard Lee as M. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a majestic and thrilling film from Peter R. Hunt.

While on holiday, James Bond comes across an adventurous woman by the name of Countess Teresa “Tracy” di Vincenzo (Diana Rigg) who was nearly captured by thugs in a beach. After meeting her again at a hotel he’s staying at, Bond learns she’s the daughter of a European crime syndicate head in Marc-Ange Draco (Gabriele Ferzetti) who is concerned for his daughter’s wild streak. Draco offers Bond money to marry Tracy while he’ll help Bond find the whereabouts of Ernst Stavros Blofeld (Telly Savalas) whom Bond has been searching for. After being rejected by M for an assignment to find Blofeld, Bond goes to Portugal for Draco’s birthday where he meets Tracy as the two begin a courtship.

Still on a leave from his work, Draco and Bond’s aide Shaun Campbell (Bernard Horsfall) help Bond get into the offices of a Swiss lawyer named Gumbold (James Bree) who had letters to find out that Blofeld has been corresponding with a genealogist in Hilary Bray (George Baker) as Bond decides to pose as Bray for a meeting with Blofeld. Going to Switzerland in Blofeld’s secret institute, Bond as Bray learns what Blofeld is planning to do as it involves 10 women under hypnosis to release dangerous bacteria on the world. Bond is eventually caught by Blofeld and his henchwoman Irma Bunt (Ilse Steppat) have him imprisoned to get their plans going. Yet, Bond manages to escape where he gets some help from Tracy who is at Switzerland for some fun.

With the relationship between he and Tracy becoming serious, Bond still has to evade Blofeld and his henchmen where things go wrong forcing Tracy to be captured. After M reveals what his superiors plan to do with Blofeld in his desire for a title, Bond decides to go on a rogue mission to save Tracy with help from Draco to stop Blofeld from harming the world.

The film is another story of James Bond trying to stop SPECTRE’s chief Blofeld from harming the world with bacterial warfare to sterilize the world’s food supply in hopes to attain a hefty ransom and a title. Bond also has to aid a crime head whose daughter falls for Bond as she would make Bond re-think about his womanizing ways. It’s a story that has simple plot but its presentation is far grander than what is expected in Bond. Notably as he has to face off against Blofeld for the second time whose deeds are ambitious in its planning as all he wants isn’t just money but a whole lot more than that. This prompts Bond to stop him as the stakes are much bigger as well as the fact that he’s got a lot against him including the British Secret Service who feels he’s gone far enough in this mission to stop Blofeld.

The screenplay by Richard Maimbaum is incredible for the massive scale of the story and the way the characters are presented. Notably Tracy di Vincenzo as she is this woman with a wild streak who can drive very fast, ski with great skill, and isn’t willing to be a damsel in distress as she is a Bond girl that is very complex but also flawed as she is also a character lost in her spoiled lifestyle. Still, she becomes an ally for Bond when she arrives in Switzerland unexpectedly proving herself to be quite tough as well as charming. Then there’s Blofeld who is given more to do as he’s a man that is truly extravagant in his lifestyle and his schemes. Under the guise of a fake count, it adds to the larger-than-life persona that is Blofeld who serves as a formidable opponent for Bond.

Peter R. Hunt’s direction is definitely vast in scope from the locations set in Portugal and Switzerland to the scale of the production that he’s created. Hunt’s direction definitely plays to the ambitious take on the story with wide location shots as well as creating suspense for key scenes such as Bond in Piz Gloria on the Swiss Alps. Though parts of that section do go on a bit long since there’s not much action that occurs in order for Bond to investigate and deal with Blofeld’s Angels of Death. It’s part of Hunt’s idea to create a Bond film that can live up to the epic though it succeeds mostly in terms of what Hunt wanted to tell.

Part of the film’s success in balancing the action and suspense is the romantic element as it’s the one of the few films where Bond gets to fall for a woman whom he might be able to spend the rest of his life with. Through these gorgeous montages, Hunt is able to build up the romance while establishing what Bond has to do for this crime syndicate head who is helping him find Blofeld. Though Tracy knows what her father is doing, she eventually grows to love Bond and helps him as their relationship adds a new dynamic to the story. Notably the film’s often talked-about ending that is one of the greatest in how the Bond story continues. It’s an ending that is heartbreaking to watch because of what Bond could’ve gained but ends up losing as the result is a truly emotional moment that is presented with great care. The overall work that Hunt creates is a spectacular but also mesmerizing for making James Bond more human in terms of the things he is facing.

Cinematographer Michael Reed does excellent work with the photography for some of the film‘s stylized lighting colors in some of its interior settings while playing up to the beauty of the locations with more naturalistic lighting in their daytime scenes. Editor John Glen does great work with the editing by utilizing rhythmic jump-cuts for the fight and action scenes including the famous stock car sequence as well as a wonderful montage for the romantic scenes. Production designer Syd Cain, with set decorator Peter Lamont and art director Robert W. Laing, does amazing work with the set pieces such as Draco‘s home base as well as the institute that Blofeld runs filled with lots of lavish decorations to play up his extravagant personality. Costume designer Marjory Cornelius does wonderful work with the costumes from the clothes that Blofeld wears to the lavish clothes his Angels of Death wear along with the more posh clothing of Tracy.

Special effects work by John Stears is superb for the few effects-driven scenes such as the ski chases and other scenes set in the Alps. Sound recorders Gordon K. McCallum and John W. Mitchell do nice work with the sound such as the way Blofeld‘s voice is recorded in a hypnotic trance for his Angels of Death to hear at night. The film’s score by John Barry is brilliant for its thrilling orchestral themes to play up the action that occurs in the film as well as somber pieces for the romance. The song We Have All The Time In the World written by Barry with lyricist Hal David and sung by Louis Armstrong is among one of the best songs of the James Bond catalog as it serves as an effective piece for Bond and Tracy’s love for each other.

The film’s cast is phenomenal for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable appearances from James Bree as the Swiss layer Gumbold, Virginia North as Draco’s aide Olympe, Bernard Horsfall as Bond’s assistant Shaun Campbell, George Baker as genealogist Hilary Bray, Ilse Steppat as Blofeld’s cunning henchwoman Irma Bunt, and as a few members of the Angels of Death, Joanna Lumley, Catherina von Schell, and Angela Scoular. Bond regulars Desmond Llewelyn and Lois Maxwell are very good in their respective roles as the witty Q and the humorous Miss Moneypenny while Bernard Lee is excellent in his role as Bond’s superior M.

Gabriele Ferzetti is wonderful as Tracy’s father Marc-Ange Draco who helps Bond in finding Blofeld as well as coming to him to tame his daughter Tracy. Telly Savalas is great as Blofeld by displaying a sense of charm to the character as well as a physicality to make him more of a force for Bond to face. Diana Rigg is incredible as Countess Teresa “Tracy” di Vincenzo by displaying a sense of grace and vulnerability to a woman lost in her lifestyle as she finds comfort in a man like James Bond. Finally there’s George Lazenby as James Bond where Lazenby brings a bit of wit and charm to his role as well as a physicality where he can be the badass and a lover. While there’s parts of Lazenby’s performance that isn’t perfect such as his attempt to be Bray, Lazenby does enough to create a compelling performance of Agent 007.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a marvelous film from Peter R. Hunt that features strong performances from George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, and Gabriele Ferzetti. The film is definitely one of the great Bond films in terms of its ambition and a story that is engaging for the way Bond is portrayed. Though it may not live up to some of the great films that starred Sean Connery, it is still a film that has enough adventure and suspense for fans to enjoy. In the end, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a superb film from Peter R. Hunt.




© thevoid99 2012
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Monday, July 09, 2012

2001: A Space Odyssey


Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 7/5/08 w/ Additional Edits.


When science fiction emerged to the cinema, it's often done with a sense of paranoia or sometimes, propaganda. By the 1950s, the genre had gone into camp with cheesy special effects and such. Even as the 1960s arrived with the dawn of space exploration from NASA, science fiction was still not being taken seriously. Even as the decade was starting to close with the idea of man landing on the moon coming into fruition. Then in 1968, one film changed everything. Not just for the genre but cinema itself as it came from the mind of novelist Arthur C. Clarke and one of cinema's finest auteurs in Stanley Kubrick. The film tells the story of life in outer space as astronauts explore a new world while finding themselves fighting the machines they built entitled 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick with a script written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke based on the latter's novel. 2001: A Space Odyssey is about the future where people are exploring space and the world beyond it. During the explorations, things get strange with ideas of alien life while a computer starts to take control of a space ship. A film with complex themes and huge ideas, it was a film that broke a lot of ground in terms of visual effects, production design, and such as Stanley Kubrick took the science fiction genre to new heights. Starring Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, and Leonard Rossiter. 2001: A Space Odyssey is a groundbreaking yet haunting film from Stanley Kubrick.

It's 2001 as a scientist named Dr. Heywood R. Floyd (William Sylvester) is traveling to a spaceship to investigate something mysterious on the moon. Upon his arrival to the space station, he calls his daughter (Vivian Kubrick) about her upcoming birthday while chatting up with a Russian scientist named Dr. Smyslov (Leonard Rossiter). Smyslov reveals to Floyd about the incident that Floyd is investigating as he wishes him luck. Floyd departs for the moon where he takes part on a press conference about this possible epidemic. He arrives along with several astronauts to discover the phenomenon that's on the moon where all of a sudden, something goes wrong.

18 months later around Jupiter, another mission involving the planet is underway led by two astronauts named Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) and Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood). They're joined by three scientists who are currently cryogenically sleeping and a super computer known as the HAL 9000 (voiced by Douglas Rain). Things seem to go well as the two astronauts and HAL watch a BBC interview. Then during a conversation with Dave, HAL discusses about the incident about the moon and its strangeness. Then HAL notices an error on a satellite where Dave checks it out. Nothing goes wrong at all as HAL is questioned whether he made a mistake when he's not supposed to. Frank and Dave begin to discuss about HAL's behavior as they decide whether to disconnect him.

When Frank decides to get the satellite working again, something goes wrong when HAL takes control of Frank's pod and something happens. Dave, back in the main ship goes into his pod to retrieve Frank but on his way back, HAL has managed to kill the three scientists who were cryogenically sleeping. Forgetting his space helmet, Dave tries to re-enter the ship to disconnect HAL after a conversation about what HAL overheard and read, through their lips, about the conversation between Dave and Frank. Dave decides to disconnect HAL where during this moment, a report from Dr. Floyd appears about the moon mission 18 months before and the Jupiter mission that's going on now that concerns a black monolith that's orbiting the planet. In a pod, Dave goes there to investigate where he suddenly travels into a place between space and time.

What makes a film like 2001 so compelling is the fact that director and co-screenwriter Stanley Kubrick decided to create a realistic portrait of outer space and such that doesn't pertain to what the genre expected. Instead, he reinvented the genre by creating something that demands more not just from a scientific level but also from a human perspective. With co-writer and novelist Arthur C. Clarke, the two men created a film that wants to ask questions rather than give answers about the idea of intelligent life beyond Earth and the planets surrounding them. What does it all mean? Well, neither Kubrick nor Clarke have any idea and has Clarke stated, if there was meaning to what the film had, he failed on what he set out to do.

The film's screenplay has a unique structure where it begins at the dawn of man, men in the form of gorillas and monkeys, performed by mimes, as they emphasize the evolution of man as they explore survival and at one moment, encounter the black monolith where afterwards, violence ensues. The film then segues into the future where it turns to the story of Dr. Floyd and his investigation of the second monolith in the moon. The film's structure of the script is definitely mesmerizing consider that there's not much dialogue but also, a lack of a plot. Instead, it's a story that unfolds on the events that happens concerning the monolith and the errors that HAL has made. HAL isn't exactly a villain but a machine with human emotions that is trying to grasp on the concept of errors as he becomes much colder as the film develops. The script is really just a blueprint of what Kubrick needed in order to tell the story.

Then there's Kubrick's direction and if the ambitions he had made in his previous film Dr. Strangelove were big. There were nothing to how he envisioned 2001 where he created a film that is truly sprawling and epic in its imagery, compositions, and imagination. From the look of the space stations, ships, moon bases, and such. Kubrick created a look that definitely seems realistic but also futuristic as if the idea of what the future could be. Even the camera movements that Kubrick has created and presented is unique from the way stewardesses and such are walking on gravity shoes to from one floor to another upside down. To even the movement of the spaceship that Dave and Frank are where it's all rounded and such.

The way Kubrick used the camera is unlike anything before in cinema where he uses all of the tricks to not create something gimmicky but rather astonish the audience in every image they seen. A lot of the images Kubrick has created is due to the film's special effects that he created with the help of Douglas Trumbull, who helped create some of the visual images of the moon, the movements of the spaceships, and the famous traveling scene of Dave through space and time with all of these flourishing, colorful images. Then there's last image of the film itself is definitely one of the film's greatest images as it represents the idea of evolution. One of the themes Kubrick seems to be exploring from the first scene of the man-monkeys to the world of space. What Kubrick creates is purely phenomenal as he raised the bar for not just science fiction but also cinema itself.

Cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth does a superb job with the film's interior lighting from the bright white lights of the film's early scenes in the space station to the red lights for the film's Jupiter mission scenes. Though the film throughout was shot on a soundstage, the exterior sets creates are wonderful with the lights for the dawn of man scene to the moon scene where the lights convey a sense of suspense. Editor Ray Lovejoy does a superb job with the film's cutting with stylized uses of transitions, jump-cuts, freeze-frames, and such while most of the time, it's all done traditionally yet smoothly as the film's 140-minute running time doesn't feel slow or languid. Instead, Lovejoy's approach to the pacing is unique while the famous space-speed travel works to the use of coloring with help from Kubrick and Douglas Trumbull.

Production designers Ernest Archer, Harry Lange, and Anthony Masters along with set decorator Robert Cartwright and art director John Hoesli all do a superb job in creating the look of the interiors for the space stations and ships that are made to create a futuristic look. Even in the design of some of the film's circular sets that are truly phenomenal in how they're created and how the camera moves without them going upside down and such. The film's costumes, Hardy Aimes created the film's clothes that looks contemporary but also futuristic from the look of the stewardesses clothing to the spacesuits worn. Sound editor Winston Ryder along with mixer H.L. Bird and supervisor A.W. Watkins do an amazing job with the layering of sounds and noises that goes on while some scenes have no sound. The work that Ryder, Bird, and Watkins create is absolutely phenomenal in creating an atmosphere and suspense to the scenes that are on display.

The soundtrack is truly amazing and sprawling with Kubrick's choice of music that is truly unique. From Richard Strauss' classic Also Sprach Zarathustra in some of the film's big, climatic moments to The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss for some of the film's interior space sequences as well as the background music for the final credits. Other musical pieces such as Aram Khachaturyan's Gayane, Ballet Style is wonderful but the film's main score pieces come from Gyorgy Ligeti that are truly haunting and mesmerizing to convey the sense of horror and wonderment that goes on throughout the film. The soundtrack overall is truly one of cinema's most memorable soundtracks that are often used in other tributes to the film.

The cast, assembled by James Liggat, are excellent as they all manage to give straightforward performances while no one really stood out in the film. Small but memorable performances from Sean Sullivan and Robert Beatty as two of Dr. Floyd's fellow associates, Alan Gifford and Ann Gillis as Frank's parents, Margaret Tyzack as a colleague of Dr. Smyslov, and Kubrick's own daughter Vivian as Dr. Floyd's daughter. Douglas Rain does a superb job with the voice of HAL as he brings a cold yet robotic-like tone that is definitely memorable.

Leonard Rossiter is excellent as Dr. Smyslov, a Russian scientist who warns Floyd about the strange phenomenons that goes on in the moon. William Sylvester is also excellent as Dr. Floyd, the scientist who goes to the moon to investigate the monolith in the film's first half while his only appearance in the film's second half is very startling. Gary Lockwood is good as Frank Poole, the astronaut who is trying to figure out the error HAL had made. Yet, Keir Dullea is the actor that really stands out as Dave Bowman, the astronaut who sees all that is happening with HAL's involvement as he goes into new regions into outer space.

2001: A Space Odyssey is a sprawling yet astonishing film from Stanley Kubrick and company. With great suspense, an amazing soundtrack, and spectacular visual effects and set designs, it's easily one of the greatest movies ever made. Those looking for a starting place in both the science fiction genre and Stanley Kubrick will use this film as a great place to start. In the end, for a film that has no idea on what it's about, except for its dazzling visuals, great music, and Stanley Kubrick's amazing direction, 2001: A Space Odyssey is the film to go see.



(C) thevoid99 2012
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Sunday, July 08, 2012

Kagemusha


Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/15/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.


Directed by Akira Kurosawa with a script he co-wrote with Masato Ide, Kagemusha is about a poor-class criminal who becomes a double for a dying warlord during a troubled period in 16th Century Japan. With help from Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas, the epic film shows Kurosawa leaning towards his ambitions and study of character in a broad setting. With a cast that includes longtime regular Tatsuya Nakadai, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kenichi Hagiwara, Daisuke Ryu, Hideo Murota, and in his final appearance (in the full, uncut Japanese version), Takashi Shimura. Kagemusha is a superb yet provocative film from Akira Kurosawa & co.

A civil war is brewing between three warlords where Takeda clan leader Shingen (Tatsuya Nakadai) is facing Oda Nobunaga (Daisuke Ryu) and Tokugawa Ieyasu (Masayuki Yui) as the war is reaching its bloodiest. Aiding Shingen is his brother Nobukado (Tsutomu Yamazaki) who has just found a petty thief who looks exactly like Shingen as he convinces the thief to be his brother. The thief reluctantly takes the job with Nobukado helping out as Shingen's son Katsuyori (Kenichi Hagiwara) and General Yamagata Masakage (Hideji Otaki) are planning a siege on Ieyasu's castle. During the siege, Shingen is wounded by a gunshot wound after hearing a mysterious flute where his opposing warlords each have a different reaction to Shingen's assassination. Though Shingen nears death, he calls in his double to ensure that his enemies don't attack in order to buy some time for the next few years. After Shingen's death, Nobukado calls in the reluctant double to fill in his position as spies believe that Shingen is alive.

The news of Shingen's recovery disturbs his enemies where they each believe he's using a double while the double learns about Shingen's death as he becomes unsure about his role. Still, Nobukado helps him be more convincing despite not convincing Shingen's horse as he does manage to convince Shingen's grandson as the double finds comfort in the role of being a grandfather. Katsuyori is unhappy about the situation as he's forced to call this man his father in front of colleagues while Yamagata figures out what to do next following Ieyasu's attack on one of the Takeda castles. Katsuyori becomes frustrated with the double as he asks questions in an attempt to reveal the double's true identity only for the double to charm his way in front of the people at a meeting. Katsuyori decides to lead the battle against Ieyasu as things go out of control prompting Nobukado to make a move for the double to make his presence as Shingen.

Feeling overshadowed by the double and the presence of his late father, Katsuyori realizes that he'll never attain any kind of respect that he hopes for. With the three years closing by, a simple act of love and joy would destroy everything for the double. Even as he is forced to watch in horror on how Nobukado has been trying to risk everything for his clan.

While the film may seem like a typical samurai epic film, the film is really about a petty thief who becomes this outside voyeur having to watch the way warlords work and such while trying to understand the man he is playing and how he treats people and such. The film is really a study of character in not just the double but also Nobukado, who was his brother's double for a while.

The film is in some respect is about these two men while a brother is having to play puppet master on what the double should do yet be one of his few friends that included General Yamagata. Then, there's Katsuyori, a son who seemed to have gained little respect from everyone and his attempts to gain his father's respect is equaled by his frustrations and lust for glory and power. His greed is also his flaw where Nobukado knows why he is trying to do these things but his father wouldn't because Shingen is doing what a father does.

Kurosawa's script is very brilliant, notably in structure with the first act being about Shingen and the introduction of the double, the second act about the double being Shingen, and the third act is about the double's big mistake and climatic battle. Kurosawa's direction is solid and more theatrical in any of his previous films. Particularly the film's opening scene that is a six-minute shot with special effects for both Nakadai's performance as Shingen and double that is a single shot without any movement.

While the film starts off slow, Kurosawa's structuring of the script and his direction to convey the sense of tension and drama that goes on in these meetings works to show this world of 16th Century Japan. Most of the scenes are done with little edits for dramatic effect to convey the emotion of these meetings while the action and battle scene are done with great style as well as the editing by Kurosawa for the film's emotional aftermath in the final battle scene. Overall, it's a brilliant work from the Japanese auteur.

Cinematographers Takao Saito and Masaharu Ueda do amazing work with film's photography, notably for the exteriors where the look of the sunlight is just beautiful while the interiors are wonderfully lit to convey the intimacy of the meetings. Art director Yoshiro Muraki also does great work in the look of traditional Japanese homes to give the film a look of authenticity and prestige. The costumes by Seiichiro Hagakusawa is exquisite for the coloring of robes and costumes to convey that sense of royalty in the characters to maintain their presence and position of power.

Sound recordist Fumio Yanoguchi and effects editor Ichiro Minami does fantastic work with the use of sound to capture the intensity of battle as well as the tension preceding those sequences. The music of Shinichiro Ikebe is great for its use of traditional, Japanese drum music and intense, orchestral arrangement for some of the film’s dramatic moments as well as the battle sequences for its momentum.

The film's cast is superb with small yet memorable performances from Takayuki Shiho, Koji Shimizu, Noburo Shimizu, and Sen Yamamato as Shingen's servants, Kamatari Fujiwara as a doctor, and Kota Yui as the adorable grandson of Shingen. Hideo Murota is great as Shingen's bodyguard Nobufasa Baba while Hideji Otaki is also great as Shingen's leading general who gives his master criticism while trying to do what is right for the clan's survival.

Daisuke Ryu is brilliant as the vicious, deranged Nobunaga while Masayuki Yui is more subdued yet amazing as the intelligent, powerful Ieyasu. Kenichi Hagiwara is excellent as the reckless, greedy Katsuyori whose desire for glory and power is tested when he is forced to be son to the double of his father while trying to take control of his clan to the dismay of his elders.

Tsutomu Yamzaki is magnificent in his role as Nobukado, the man who is running everything yet understands the role of the double who is playing his brother. Yamakazi's subtle, engaging performance is brilliant as he and Tatsuya Nakadai have amazing camaraderie with Nakadai providing great support as he is in some ways, the film's moral conscience who knows what kind of power his brother has and how the double should maintain it.

Tatsuya Nakadai is brilliant as the ruthless, powerful Shingen who has all the makings of a great leader but is more complex as the petty thief who becomes his double. Nakadai's performance is so exquisite, having to double duty in playing two leading character is a challenge but he did rose to that challenge. Nakadai's performance not only carries the film but also maintains its engaging tone in its emphasis on character study. It's an overall, fantastic and eerie performance from one of Kurosawa's great actors.

Kagemusha is a powerful yet poignant character-driven film from Akira Kurosawa and company. Thanks in large parts to the performances of Tatsuya Nakadai and Tsutomu Yamzaki, it's a great film of character study and loyalty set to one of Japan's most historical moments. While it's one of his essential latter-day films, it's also a worthy introduction of sorts to what Kurosawa was going through at the stage of his career. In the end, for a film that is profound in its character and presentation, Kagemusha is a film that is highly recommended to see.

Akira Kurosawa Films: (Sanshiro Sugata) - (The Most Beautiful) - (Sanshiro Sugata Part II) - (The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail) - No Regrets on Our Youth - (One Wonderful Sunday) - Drunken Angel - (The Quiet Duel) - Stray Dog - Scandal (1950 film) - Rashomon - The Idiot (1951 film) - Ikiru - The Seven Samurai - (I Live in Fear) - Throne of Blood - (The Lower Depths (1957 film)) - The Hidden Fortress - The Bad Sleep Well - Yojimbo - Sanjuro - High and Low - Red Beard - Dodesukaden - Dersu Uzala - Ran - Dreams (1990 film) - (Rhapsody in August) - (Madadayo)

© thevoid99 2012
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